Making A Mountain A Molehill: Series Helps Runners Prepare For Marathons

September 26, 1986|By RANDALL MELL, Staff Writer

They are like climbers in search of great heights. Something inside them has to see what life looks like from the top of a mountain.

Some of them want to lead the climb. Others just want to complete it. All, however, cherish the view from the top.

They are marathon runners.

Jane Millspaugh isn`t that different from a mountain-climbing guide. She is the coordinator of the Broward County Parks` Paradise Run Series. It`s a unique training program for runners.

The five-run series features a marathon and abridged division. The marathon division is designed to prepare runners for the Orange Bowl Marathon Jan. 10 in Key Biscayne. The abridged division provides training for shorter races.

``I`ve gotten a lot out of running,`` Millspaugh said. ``I`d like others to get enjoyment out of it. This provides a structure for them to learn about running and to build up their training.``

The series opened Sept. 6 with a run at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. The marathon division opened with a 3.1-mile run. The abridged division opened with a 2.5-mile run.

The other runs in the series are: Saturday at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, Oct. 18 at West Lake Park in Hollywood, Nov. 8 at Plantation Heritage Park in Plantation and Dec. 6 at Markham Park in Sunrise.

The unique aspect of the series is that distances increase as the series progresses. The marathon division increases to 6.2 miles Saturday, to 10 miles Oct. 18, to 15 miles Nov. 8 and to 20 miles Dec. 6. The abridged division goes from 1.5 miles to 3.1, 5, 7.5 and 10.

A clinic is offered after each run in the series.

``The program is for people who are learning how to run and for marathon runners who want to get themselves ready for the Orange Bowl,`` Millspaugh said. ``It`s something different. It`s not a competition. It`s a completion run, but times are available to the runners.

``I think it`s good for runners to get quality instruction,`` she said. ``Running a marathon can be painful if you don`t prepare correctly. It takes common sense and gradual progression.``

Millspaugh, 38, a member of the Coral Springs Roadrunners, lectures at the clinics. She educated herself by running in 19 marathons, including four New York Marathons and three Boston Marathons. She finished 77th in the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon in 1984 with a personal record time of 2:46.31. She came in seeded 215th. She won the Maine Coast Marathon this spring.

``Running`s good for you, and I think it gives you a sense of self- confidence,`` Millspaugh said. ``There are not a lot of people who have the discipline to do it.``

The ultimate dose of confidence comes with finishing a marathon, Millspaugh said. It gives one a feeling he or she can accomplish anything.

``It`s like climbing the Himalayas,`` Millspaugh said.

Millspaugh, however, wants her runners to understand that you don`t tackle a mountain without mastering hills. Her clinics include guest lectures. Dr. Robert Willix, a cardiac rehabilitation specialist at Imperial Point Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, will speak at the Quiet Waters Park run. Dr. Jeffrey Liss, a sports podiatrist in Fort Lauderdale, will speak at the West Lake Park run.

Week One of the clinics included discussion of basic training principles. Future clinics will include lectures on speed work, injuries, pacing, nutrition and strategy.

David Kerstine, 41, of Coral Springs, thought the program was ideal for introducing he and his 10-year-old son, Steven, to running.

``It`s absolutely perfect for us from two aspects,`` Kerstine said. ``You start with shorter distances that you feel comfortable with and then it gradually builds up. It`s also done under trained supervision.``

Millspaugh works out an individual program for each runner in the clinic. Workouts are determined by experience and personal goals. Participants find the individual attention appealing.

``I promised myself a few years ago I`d run a marathon,`` said Fritz Heidgerd of Deerfield Beach. ``I was looking for a structure to get training in marathon running. It takes too much time to study on your own. This opportunity lent itself to my promise.``

Heidgerd, 35, an attorney, was one of 140 runners in the series` first run.